The British Columbia RCMP’s top officer, Dwayne McDonald, has been removed from his position due to undisclosed allegations spanning from 2016 to 2018, as announced by the RCMP. John Brewer, who previously oversaw B.C.’s extortion task force, has taken over as the deputy commissioner and commanding officer for the province.
In a statement attributed to RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme, it was mentioned that further details regarding the allegations will not be disclosed at this time. However, Duheme assured that the operational and policing services of the RCMP in British Columbia will remain unaffected by this change.
The statement confirmed that the allegations are currently under investigation and were recently brought to the attention of the RCMP. McDonald, who also held positions such as the top officer at the Surrey RCMP and the RCMP’s criminal operations officer for federal and organized crime investigations in B.C., has had his bio removed from the RCMP’s senior executive committee page.
Having nearly thirty years of law enforcement experience and prior work with the Canada Border Services Agency, McDonald had various leadership roles, including leading the Lower Mainland’s Integrated Homicide Investigation Team and the anti-gang Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit.
John Brewer, now serving as the interim commanding officer for the RCMP’s E Division in B.C., previously served as an assistant commissioner within the RCMP. Commissioner Duheme expressed full confidence in Brewer, stating that he is a respected member of the RCMP’s senior leadership team.
McDonald, who received the Order of Merit of the Police Forces in 2015, led the largest division of the RCMP, E Division, in British Columbia. Brewer’s appointment as the interim commanding officer aims to ensure the continued effective operation of the RCMP in the province.
